Avio Aero, a GE Aerospace company – proud partner of Prague Pride
Avio Aero Prague was an official partner of Prague Pride for the first time last year and we were very proud of it. We wanted to became a partner of the event as we fight for equality and a better society for both us and our children.
Our employee group Pride Alliance leaders with other colleagues have been attending the parade for several years in Prague, following the example of our Italian sites colleagues.
It was an awesome experience last year to see other companies and people in the parade that share same values and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in the center of Prague.
The company recognises the importance of acknowledging and supporting the event because its people believe that diversity is the foundation of innovation and progress, and that the LGBTQIA+ community does yet suffer discrimination. Avio Aero strives to be a home away from home for everyone.
Liam Richards, one of our Pride Alliance Group leaders, has come a long way in supporting those who don’t have a voice, as he says. At the beginning of his career, he also had an upleasant experience that influenced him greatly.
Richards started his internship at GE Aerospace’s maintenance facility near Cardiff, Wales, during his third year of university. “I remember walking in the first day and seeing the engines right up close,” he says. “Ever since I was little, I’d wanted to have a hand in aviation, to touch what goes up in the air. I could finally be part of it.” However, because it was his first time on the shop floor, he wasn’t sure how — or if — he should tell his co-workers he was gay. “It’s not easy to come out,” he says. “You always second-guess: Can I? Can’t I? How will this be perceived?” One day, everyone in the office trooped out to the parking lot for a blood drive. When Richards, who had never donated blood before, answered a question about his sexual orientation, the nurse told him he was ineligible. (The rules have since changed.)
Stunned, he emerged from the bloodmobile into the crowd of colleagues waiting outside. “That was quick!” they teased playfully. “Did you chicken out?” “No,” he said. “They rejected me because I’m gay.”
Richards distinctly remembers the pall of silence that fell over the group. Embarrassed by the discrimination he encountered and his own unfamiliarity with LGBTQ+ rights, he committed to educating himself about the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community and promoting awareness and acceptance. Recognizing the importance of creating an environment where everyone feels respected and empowered, Richards sought to not only expand his own knowledge but also to educate others: “It’s crucial in healing rifts and creating allies.”
The experience inspired him to join the Pride Alliance, one of GE’s most active employee resource groups. The Alliance supports employees who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, or intersex. As a Pride Alliance rep, Richards adopted education as a first principle; he would go on to visit all of GE Aerospace’s U.K. sites to promote inclusive workplaces.
As a leader and a member of the community himself, Richards acknowledges that while there is still work left to do, the climate is improving. “The best days of my career have been hearing colleagues, from managers to operators, say they finally feel comfortable coming out,” he says. “We’re proud of who we are, and we can be free to be ourselves.”